Book Review: Flex 3 with Java

One Minute Bottom Line

Review

This book offers a good basis for beginners in Flex 3 and ActionScript 3. Coverage includes how to work with Flex Builder 3 in terms of configuration, use, and debugging. There is also concrete information about BlazeDS.

Here is the Table of Contents so that you can see what's included: 

• Chapter 01: Installing and Configuring Adobe Flex
• Chapter 02: Introduction to Flex 3 Framework
• Chapter 03: Introduction to ActionScript 3.0
• Chapter 04: Using External API and LocalConnection
• Chapter 05: Working with XML
• Chapter 06: Overview of LiveCycle Data Services and BlazeDS
• Chapter 07: Flex Data Access Methods
• Chapter 08: Communicating with Server-side Java
• Chapter 09: Debugging Techniques
• Chapter 10: Styling your Application
• Chapter 11: Packaging and Deployment
• Chapter 12: Internationalization and Localization
• Chapter 13: Creating an E-commerce Application

This book's teaching approach is well done, covering practically from scratch the most important topics needed in order to quickly learn how to use Flex 3 and ActionScript 3 together with Java. You will learn many components in both representations like MXML and AS (ActionScript) complete with valuable images about the manipulation and edition of your code through Flex Builder 3, including its configuration, use, and debugging.

Each chapter includes concrete and well-explained theory; a  amount of complete and snippet code for Java, MXML, AS, CSS; easy step-by-step instructions to follow; images to give a better idea about what you should expect if you execute some application and also how to complete the idea about the manipulation or use of Flex Builder 3. This book even covers some third-party tools.

What I liked:

• Not heavy theory, you can read the whole book comfortably
• Good amount of code
• Well use of step-by-step instructions to do some configuration or work
• You quickly learn Flex 3 and ActionScript 3
• The last chapter includes twenty five pages! of sample code and step-by-step instructions that apply to many of the topics learned throughout the book

What I disliked:

• Not deep enough coverage on Security
• Not deep enough coverage on LiveCycle Data Services and BlazeDS
• Not deep enough coverage on Flex Builder 3 administration and manipulation

If you want to see more details on the summaries of each chapter in this book, read my longer review.